Cops want bosses to address issues related to merged districts

PESHAWAR: Officers within the police force want the bosses to amicably address issues related to the deployment of the personnel in the erstwhile Fata to avoid embarrassment in future.

The Levies and Khassadars on a number of occasions protested the deployment of the police force to the merged districts. Even during the visit of Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday police contingents were refused entry into Bajaur and Mohmand to assist the local forces in providing security to the venue. “Even the sniffer dogs of the Canine Unit of the KP Police that were sent to sweep the area were returned. The force was conveyed that none of the policemen will be allowed to enter Mohmand and Bajaur for security for the rally of Imran Khan as well as to take control of the security of the area in coming days,” a source at the Central Police Office told The News. The source continued that this was not for the first time that police faced embarrassing situation as the same had happened during the visit of the KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan to the southern districts. Besides, police parties were attacked and slogans were chanted against the force when the officers visited the merged districts in recent months for assessment of their respective areas. “The Khassadars and maliks supported by some invisible elements have intensified opposition to the police deployment to the merged districts since the notification of setting up of 25 police stations has been issued last week. In some areas the situation was embarrassing for the police force,” the source said. The source said that many junior and senior policemen want the federal and provincial governments to make things clear as the cops never asked for deployment to the merged districts but it was a decision of the government to introduce a similar system in the erstwhile Fata like that of the rest of the country. The source said that the Friday incident has angered a number of officers and junior officials who want the bosses to take a stand. The source said that the police headquarters had issued the order for the security of the PM’s rally and instructed the force to sweep the venue for the visit of Prime Minister Imran Khan at least three times through the bomb disposal unit and sniffer dogs. “Every entry point of the venue and the pandal must be supervised by an officer not less than the rank of inspector and the overall supervision must rest with an officer not less than the rank of a deputy superintendent of police,” a source quoted from the order issued from the CPO on March 13 regarding the visit of the PM to Mohmand and Bajaur.

The order further added that the buildings around the venue and adjacent to it must be occupied by the police after they have been searched and cleared thoroughly with the help of BDS and Canine Unit. “Media equipment and cameras must be thoroughly checked in coordination with the Information Department. The stage must be taken over by the Special Branch after it has been searched. An officer of the rank of SP should be made in-charge of the venue outer and inner cordons and security zones,” stated the order from the CPO.

However, on the day of the rally the Home Department issued an information report in which it was clearly stated that the Levies and Khassadar Force in Mohmand and Bajaur have decided not to allow police to perform security duty on the eve of the visit of PM Imran Khan. The report further stated that they will stop police at the entry points of Mian Killay in Bajaur and Ekkaghund in Mohmand. Levies and Khassadars want security of their jobs and increase in salaries like that of the regular police in case of their induction in the force. The government is yet to give them any kind of assurance which has sparked protests by the personnel who have been performing security duty in the erstwhile Fata for decades. The spokesman for the KP Police when contacted by The News avoided commenting on the issue, saying the force would obey government orders. The spokesman also avoided commenting on the reaction of police officers and officials over a series of incidents in which the Levies and Khassadars openly opposed the entry of the force in merged districts.